er spoons. It was
ony the wurk of a minnit to pry open the lid, and a dazzlin array
of butyful & fancy does met my vishun. Then I shed all my things
and commensed the arduus wurk of dressin. I say arduus, cos it was
parrylisin, discom-fertin, & puzzlin. I useter wonder y ma tuk so long
to dress, wen she was goin eny-where, and pa was swarin and hurryin her
up. Now, I wunder no longer cos I kno how tis myself, and after my own
xperiense in pins, buttins, strings, laces, garters, and things, I shall
ever look upon wimmin as martirs. The dress was jest short enuf to show
my blu striped silk stockins, and bout two inshes of mbroidery.
The stock-ins was a littel too big, so I had to fill em up with
hankercheefs. The waste jest but-tened up on me, at the waste line, but
it tuk half a dozen piller cases, and a cuppel of sheets, to stuff the
upper part of the front. I had to put a reef in crinny line, cos it
showd, and it tuk ma's pach-wurk quilt to mak my bussel big enuf for
stile.

Wen I was all thru dressin, I looked like a Fifth avenue daysy,
every particle of my dress was complete, only I culdnt set down very
maudestly, cos my hoops was too wide. Then ma she fixed up my hare, and
maid a masque for me, and sed I was a true-ter-life Parisien greassette.

Soon as I got in the ball-room, every maskerline carackter got mashed on
me, and warnted me for a partner. Every one I dansed with treeted me to
ice creme and carrymels, and I guess, I ete supper bout seventeen times,
in fact I ete so much, that a terrebel strane round my waste, warned
that if I indulged my appytite eny more, a feerful catastrofy, was
lierbel to take place.

Bout two o'clock I begun to get tired, & warnted to go home, but my
partner, wot was Mr. Gilley, drest in the costum wot he sent me down to
Ike Israel's on Chattam Strete, to hire for him, and wot the Jue sed,
reprysented Tom Okiltree a Texas Briggand, promissed to get a carrage,
and driv me home, if I'd stay till three. I was 'greed, so I dansed
three or four more sets with him, and ete sum more creme. Then he got a
close carrage, & told the driver to drive orful slow, cos he was frade
the moshun of the carrage'd have a bad effect on my nerves.

Soon as we got started he tuk me on his knee, & got to huggin me round
the piller slips & sheets and kissin my left eer, and gettin otherwise
fermillyer, so I seen the moment had cum for me to be myself, so I
lifted up my masque. Soon as he cot site of my fa